Allconnect Summit Provides Insights into Utility Company Trends and Innovations

Optimizing utility customer interactions through technology, data analytics and employee training was the focus of the annual Allconnect Summit, featuring more than 75 U.S. energy company leaders and industry experts who discussed strategies and solutions in the evolving utility market.

Companies represented at the Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona, include American Electric Power (AEP), Columbia Gas, Consumers Energy, Dominion Products and Services, Duke Energy, Faneuil Inc., First Energy, Gas South, Kansas City Power and Light (KCP&L), NICOR National, NIPSCO, Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Pepco, Portland General Electric (PGE), San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E), Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), Southern California Gas Company, TXU Energy, We Energies, and Xcel Energy.

The Allconnect Summit featured speakers, panel discussions and networking opportunities, allowing attendees to share best practices from their business environments.

“The goals of this Summit were to learn from each other, see things differently, and think differently,” said Sean Barry, Allconnect president of Utility Services. “There have been so many changes in the industry from online capabilities to green initiatives and energy efficiency products. Bringing together the knowledge and experience of this group benefits everyone.”

In addition to Barry, the agenda featured the following presentations from industry experts:

• Duke Energy discussed changes in contact center technology, new methods to grow efficiency, and incentive strategies that have realized measurable results within months of implementation.
• FirstEnergy shared how its contact centers have increased productivity and how the company is using technology to communicate with customers.
• Allconnect presented how the commitment to the customer experience is driving the strategic analysis of data, the approach to employee training and enhancements to the software program used by contact centers.
• Xcel Energy talked about how the important relationship between the marketing department and contact centers results in return on investment of customer satisfaction.
• Pacific Gas & Electric along with Allconnect facilitated an Ideation Session where attendees brainstormed innovative solutions to their common challenges.

“Utility customer expectations have changed so fast in recent years,” said Mark Miller, CEO of Allconnect. “Every year, there are new issues and opportunities to address. It is a privilege to host representatives from our utility partners who can share unique insights into the challenges, the solutions and the results they’ve experienced.”